Australia to abstain on UN vote on Palestine

Israel and Hamas have begun indirect talks about how to implement last week's ceasefire deal, bringing to an end more than a week of violence in and around the Gaza Strip that killed more than 150 people.

It's expected Hamas will press for an end of the Israeli blockade on Gaza, while Israel wants arms smuggling to cease.

Meanwhile, Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal has reportedly telephoned the Palestinian Authority President, Mahmoud Abbas, to say the Islamist movement welcomes his bid to have Palestine recognised as a 'non-member observer state' at the United Nations. And on that front, the news today from Australia is that it will abstain from the vote on Palestine's UN status.